STUCK

And the blog is back...

... because sometimes I have more to say than a Facebook post can handle. :)

Saturday night Jimmy and I went and saw Stuck, the documentary discussing issues making international adoptions more difficult in the past five years. Here is the trailer:

It is a fabulous film- very well done. Since 2008, which was the year we brought Sammy home, international adoptions have dropped by 60%! I know that there are not less people interested in adoption and I know that there are not less children in need of forever homes. So what breaks my heart, and what the movie painfully illustrated, is that this just means more kiddos are sitting in institutions and aging out. The film shows how both the US government and those abroad have made the process expensive and cumbersome. The result has been less kiddos being adopted and some countries closing their doors to adoption because they cannot meet the requirements sent forth by the Hague Treaty, which was originally designed to increase international adoptions. If you want to see this movie here or if you are local, we can lend you a copy. We bought a few to share.

When I was in Guatemala in 2008 for eight months during Sammy's adoption, I saw a lot. I remember thinking "I can't un-see this. I am now responsible for what I know." This day was one of many life-changing days that year. Watching the documentary on Saturday, I again thought "I can't un-see this. I can't un-know this." I knew that there had been some countries closed and that adoptions were down, but seeing it all spelled out was heart-breaking.

Children cannot advocate well for themselves. Our lawmakers are not advocating well for these children either. Please help us make some noise and get the attention of our lawmakers in DC and the international community. The easiest way to do that is to sign this petition. The goal is one million signatures by mid-May and they have a long way to go. It's easy and quick to sign online- please do so and forward to your friends/family. If you are led to get more involved, you can write your congressmen/women. And OF COURSE, you can always get involved by adopting a kiddo. While the process is not easy, the need is great.

Since the Stuck documentary addresses international adoption, I know there are some thinking "There are so many kids in the U.S. who need homes, too! Why don't we advocate for them?" Well, we should advocate for them, too. And it is true that there is great need in our own communities as well. As a family who has adopted internationally and is a foster parent, I can see the great need both places. However, it is also true that the damage done in the horrific conditions in many international orphanages/institutions can sometimes make the US foster system look luxurious. We all have different callings and I think our energy is better spent supporting those who are getting involved with kids in need than criticizing the how or where it happens. Kids need help- kids in our backyards and kids around the world.

I think often our biggest issue (me included) is our fear of doing something uncomfortable, messy or out of our control. I know lots of people also use the fear of how adoption/fostering might impact their current children. This fear is one we have discussed often as foster parents. However, I believe God calls us to things sometimes that require my whole family to sacrifice. We are all learning a lot and I can see God molding my boys and teaching them compassion and selflessness as we as a family serve. Some days they throw fits and I know it is because they are jealous or didn't get as much attention as they wanted in a certain moment, but we are ok. I don't want my fear to cause us to miss out on some incredible blessings!

Like I said, way too much to say for a FB post today.

Another post coming with some updates on our family's story for anyone interested...